My Pet
by WitchatHeart77
Summary: A new Ministry law restricts the freedom of mystical creatures everywhere. Hermione tries to find a way to keep Remus from suffering from it. Hermione/Remus,
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from JK Rowling's Masterpiece. No money is being made. I just like to play with the characters from time to time.

_**Author Note: I had thought that I posted this a long while back when I posted to AFF...oh well... This is the tale of how a lowly assistant in a ridiculed department helped a friend in dire need. She never expected to fall in love with him. This is for all you Hermione/Remus fans, the few that are out there somewhere.**_

Everything was quite peaceful at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Harry had finally managed to propose to Ginny properly, but only after he confirmed with seven different Aurors and Mediwizards that the dead body at his feet was that of the Dark Lord, Voldemort. Ron had somehow managed to land a spot on the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team, happily forcing him to travel the world. Hermione, however, had chosen to stay behind and take up a job as Arthur Weasley's assistant in the Wizard, Muggle-Born, Half-Blood Interactive Affairs Department, the newest department in the Ministry.

Her work came before anything else. She adored being able to help parents of muggleborn witches and wizards adapt to the news that their child was gifted. Hermione was the Hogwarts Liaison for new students. She also felt blessed with the ability to help the purebloods understand that the magic chose the wizard or witch, that it has nothing to do with their blood. With Arthur backing her up, Hermione managed to bring a new understanding to the Wizarding world about less than pureblood status. However, that only made the prejudice at the Ministry find a new victim to degrade and humiliate; the Marriage Law having been overturned and demolished soon after Arthur and Hermione's propaganda began flooding every floo and owl post within a thousand miles of London. She had managed to get a petition from Ron, however, after a short engagement prior to the law's downfall, they found they had nothing in common that a long and happy marriage could be based upon. They went their separate ways as soon as the law was rescinded.

Now, Hermione received a memo on her desk about a new law. A law that would deeply affect someone rather close to her; a person she respected for his outlook on life despite what it's dealt him, his courage to face the odds, and his ability to overcome a prejudice and misinformed community. To summarize, the law states that any persons with tainted blood were considered animals due to their grotesque and brutalizing methods on the battlefields, no matter that these same characteristics rid the world of some of the most evil people that every breathed. No…they were now considered animals, which meant that they now had to be owned, like a dog. Or in Remus Lupin's case, a werewolf.

"It's true, then?" Remus asked with a sigh as he ran a hand over his almost completely gray hair.Hermione sat down beside him and placed her hand on his arm. She looked up to Harry who was scowling like mad.

"I'm sorry, but yes. I don't think that a few posters will help this time. It says you have five days to register your calendar, habits, and general day to day activities. Then, someone will look over your schedule to see if it fits theirs so that they can determine whether or not they can…" Hermione swallowed not sure of what words to use.

"Just say it, Hermione," Remus said fully aware that she was trying to save his feelings. "I've heard worse, let me assure you. The people need to know if they can what?"

She sighed. "If they can take care of a pet. I'm so sorry, Remus. That's the word they used. Unfortunately, I don't see how this anything different than some kind of uniformed slavery."

"It is and I won't stand for it," Harry said as he slammed his hand down on the other end of the table. "This is absurd! How can they do this? They're people, too! What did Remus, or anyone else, ever do to them?"

Remus stood up and put an arm around Harry. "It's not what we have or have not done. It's what we can possibly do in the future that scares them. This is the Ministry's way of keeping tabs on all of us. Hermione, what else did it say?"

She took a moment. She had been so intrigued by his opinion that she truly admired him. "Oh, um…just a few other details…"

"Like what?"

"Here, it's best you read it," she said as she handed him the twenty- page highlighter orange leaflet. Harry finally sat down as Remus thumbed through the pages. The two young adults looked up with query in their eyes when they heard the older man laugh out loud. Remus looked up from the pages with tears of laughter falling down his cheeks.

"They want to know our loo habits!"

"WHAT?!" the other two said in unison.Remus turned the papers around and pointed to the clause.

_Section 28:4 - Urinary and Bowel Functions while transformed (Pertaining to Werewolves and other creatures of that nature)All animals must provide a schedule of defecation and urination to the Ministry so the owners can adjust their activities to provide a safe and healthy home life for their children. No child will be allowed in the presence of an unkept, unclean, diseased, and filthy animal in the home. All animals will notify the owner and the Ministry at any time that this schedule fluctuates in regards to sickness, potions or other medications, or timing of the full moon. To not notify the appropriate authorities of such a change constitutes defiance of this law and is punishable up to but not necessarily including a dementor's kiss._

"Oh my god," Hermione said as she sighed and put her face in her hands. "I hadn't read that part, yet."

Remus and Harry looked at each other than Hermione. Harry then said, "What day is it?"

She looked at him with concern on her face. "It's Friday, the 18th of April. Why?"

"Oh, I'm just writing this down as the day that you admit you didn't read something," he said with a laugh to break the solemnity of the news. She swatted his arm and then sat back in her chair trying desperately not to mentally organize Remus' habits.

"Who is it I need to see? It doesn't say here."

Hermione's train of thought was broken just when her catalogued memory started on Remus' bathing. "Oh, um…Amos Diggory is still in control of that department. Just talk with him. I'm sure if I speak with him, we can find a suitable home for you."

"Sounds like the S.P.C.A.," Harry said as he crossed his arms, his mirth quickly disintegrating.

Hermione stood up. She couldn't stand to be the bearer of bad news, but at the same time, she felt she needed to be the one to tell Remus. He had done so much for her, including taking the brunt of a curse at the final battle.

_"Well well if it isn't the little Mudblood coming back for more," Dolohov said as he approached her from behind._

_Hermione's eyes narrowed, recognizing the voice. "I'm surprised you haven't tried to hex me already, you bastard."_

_"Now, why didn't I think of that? Oh that's right, Hogwarts' brightest thinks of everything. Young Mr. Malfoy told me to be careful of you, but I have a score to settle. Shall we do this?" he responded stopping in front of her and saluting in the usual dual stance. Hermione's attention was momentarily interrupted as she saw Harry casting the killing curse on Voldemort behind Dolohov. Remus saw her eye line and screamed her name, distracting her more. She turned her head just as Dolohov raised his wand. Remus dove for her, successfully knocking her out of the path of Dolohov's Crucio, as he cast a stunner towards the Death Eater.She rolled over to see the older man covering her with his body. He was so close. She could feel his breath on his face. It was sweet, like chocolate. But the man was shaking uncontrollably, the effects of the Crucio grazing his back._

Her memory of that night quickly disappeared as she heard Remus' chair scraping the hard wood floors beneath it.

"Well, I suppose I should head that direction. I'll stop back by when I get registered," the werewolf said as he grabbed his cloak.

"Wait, Remus, I'll go with you," Hermione said.

She made her way to the closet, took out her cloak, and headed towards the floo.

_"I'll try my best to make this transition as comfortable for him as possible. I just have to,_" she thought as she threw the powder into the floo and called out for the Ministry of Magic.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author note: Short chapter...again redownloaded from AFF. Dizi, I'm putting the link in my profile.What happens to Remus when he gets to the Ministry? And Hermione has to make a choice...fast!**_

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Hermione threw the offending piece of leather across the office, the buckle of which cracking the window it smacked against. "This is preposterous! There is no way I will have him degraded and humiliated like this! I refuse to allow it."

Amos Diggory looked saddened, almost like he agreed, but decided in the best interest of his job to keep insisting. "He has to, Miss Granger. He hasn't a choice on the matter. The Ministry has made the requirements quite clear. You cannot leave the premises with him until he puts it on."

By now, Hermione would have put the Weasleys to shame with the shade of red her face was turning in her fury. She couldn't believe they would stoop this low to make it a requirement for all 'animals' to be put on leashes. But that's not all. "Magical leashes?" she asked exasperated. "For what? So they won't run away and hack someone to death? So they won't shite all over the place? What the bloody hell do they think will happen? This is absurd, Diggory! Absolutely unequivocally ABSURD!"

Remus just sat there quietly listening to all of the prerequisites for being placed for adoption, for lack of a better term. He stood slowly and walked over to the window, picked up the leash, and examined it. "Hermione, if this is what I have to do, then I'll do it. I don't want any trouble."

"Remus, please! Don't do this. Don't put yourself out there for embarrassment. Please. I respect you too much to put you through this. And Harry!" she said as she turned to Amos again, "Harry will have your heads for this! He'll be furious! I…I can't even imagine the…raw rage…the unadulterated anger that this place will have to deal with when he finds out! Oh…there's going to be trouble alright."

Remus stepped up to Hermione and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Hermione, please. You're not making this easier for me. I know you mean well but there are ears here that do not understand your loyalty to me. They only see a young beautiful woman standing against a system that can only make it harder for her. You work here, Hermione. Well, as of late, you practically live here, but this is only going to make your life harder as well. Let it be, my pet. Just let it be."

Remus took the leather strip and began to fasten it around his own neck. Hermione could only look on with unshed tears in her eyes at the monstrosity.

It had taken Hermione several minutes to compose herself enough to walk out of the office. She finally convinced Remus to tuck the collar and leash under his shirt so it would not be as noticeable. But to no avail. It seemed the entire office knew of Remus' furry little problem and were now whispering about it not too quietly. Some whistled like calling their mutt. Some began to mock howling at which Remus cringed, thankfully only noticed by Hermione. Some said nasty things like, "Go fetch," or "Sic her boy!"

It was all Hermione could do to refrain from hexing the living hell out of some of them, and yet, it was all she could do keep walking without breaking into hysterical sobbing. She could actually feel the embarrassment for him. She could palpate the heaviness of the shame. She didn't pity him. He was too good for pity. But she could understand what he had to go through and what he was hiding underneath this tough exterior. He was so shy and so timid, yet with one full moon, he could turn into a ferocious beast. His very soul was split into exact opposites. There was an inner conflict inside him that Hermione wished with all her heart she could reconcile. Alas, she could do nothing but hold onto Remus' arm as he walked to the lift. Once inside and the gate closed, Remus put his arm around her and held her to his chest knowing that she needed to let it out.

As the roof of the lift began to disappear and the voices in the office began to hush, one could hear the screaming sobs of a young woman crying in the arms of her one time savior.

* * *

It had been a couple weeks after Remus had registered with the Ministry when a new clause was announced. This time Remus had had enough.

"They can't do that. That's murder!"

Hermione just sat there and thought of the hundreds of people that would be effected. There were some that would not live to see the day that this clause was amended, and Hermione could feel nothing but remorse over working for a sick and disturbed organization. "That's it. I quit. I can't take this anymore."

Harry sat up and took her hand. "No, Hermione, you can't. You have to keep working on this. You're on the inside. There might be something you can do, something you can think of to put a stop to this. You won't be able to help Remus or anyone else if you quit. You have to keep it up."

"But Harry…it will take too long. People are going to die."

Ron had been sitting at the table quietly reading the pamphlet that explained the new clause. It was there in black and white. Any tainted 'animal' that was not adopted within thirty days of registering with the Ministry will be subject to euthanizing.

Ron looked up to Remus than to Hermione. "You have to work harder…faster. Remus only has two weeks left, Hermione. You have to do something."

When looking at it that way, the desperation of the situation hit Hermione hard. She began to cry and then proceeded to storm from the room. There was just too much pressure for one person to handle.


End file.
